Energon cube
From Transformers Wiki
Theenergon cubeis the safest form ofEnergon,used for transportation and storage.
Contents |
Fiction
Generation 1 continuity
The Transformerscartoon
Energon cubes were created via an empty cube-shaped, framework generated by Decepticons, most notablySoundwave,More than Meets the Eye, Part 1Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1Energon cubes seemed to be Decepticon technology going as far back as Cybertron'sGolden Age,War Dawnas when theAutobotsawoke in1984,they seemed unaware of them, most notablyHound.More than Meets the Eye, Part 1
As early as1985,as theDecepticon Empirebegan to expand its influence, energon cubes became a viable trading commodity in theMilky Way,with evenalienlifeforms valuing their power.The GamblerThat same year,Elita One's team stole a batch of energon cubes fromShockwave'sbase.The Search for Alpha Trion
By the year2005the Autobots had begun to use energon cubes for power as well.The Transformers: The Movie
Exactly how an energon cube operates is unclear, especially as their framework appears to be some sort of self-sustaining force field with no internal mechanisms. Most frequently, the empty cube is simply attached to or placed near the energy source from which it is to drain power, and the energy in question is automatically converted into liquid energon that fills the cube. Energon cubes have proven able to transform a vast array of resources into energon, including electricity, magma, oil and steam. Energon seems to have a much higher energy potential than carbon-based fuel sources: 1000 barrels of oil are needed to fill a single energon cube,Thief in the Nightand the electrical energy within the synapses of the human brain are insufficient to generate even a few drops.The Ultimate Doom, Part 3
The liquid energon within energon cubes is a glowing pink color, although the cubes could also be compressed for easy storage and transport, causing them to take on an iridescent rainbow effect.
MarvelThe Transformerscomics
Shockwavebuilt anenergy siphonthat was capable of converting bothoiland the sonic energy from aBrick Springsternconcert into large purple energon cubes. Unfortunately when these cubes were exposed to x-ray energy from Shockwave's weaponry, they detonated in a blinding flash of light.Rock and Roll-Out!
Wheeljackinvented theGeothermal Generatorwhich converted theEarth's underground heat into energon cubes.Used Autobots
Concentrated energon cubesare a highly valuable form of universally accepted currency among alien cultures. These tiny green non-glowing cubes measure approximately 6 inches (15.2 cm) on a side and are easily transportable, as well as being less combustible than normal energon cubes.Guess Who the Mecannibals Are Having for Dinner?
2005 IDW continuity
AfterMisfirehad been captured by theGalactic CouncilonConstancy,Fulcrumlaunched a daring jailbreak but found his brilliant plan sidetracked by his friend grabbing some energon cubes to sate his appetite.Arm the Lonely
Henkei! Henkei! Comic Bun Bunpack-in manga
2019 IDW continuity
A safe form that was ready for consumption, energon cubes were the preferred way of transporting energon.Wannabee, Part 1Constructicons Rising, Part 2
AfterDevastatorhad devastatedMayalx,theInsecticonsdevoured the scrap metal left behind and metabolized a large bounty of energon cubes forthe Rise.Constructicons Rising, Part 4
Transformers vs. The Terminator
After taking over aCyberdyne Systemsfacility, the Decepticons used the compound's energy production capabilities to make a bounty of energon cubes, thoughRefraktorwasn't pleased with the pitiful amount of cubes that the Decepticons were able to fill.Enemy of My Enemy Part Three
Transformers/Back to the Future
AfterRumblehad claimed theDeLorean time machine,he travelled back to1974and enslavedBiff Tannen,forcing the human to spend the next ten years making energon cubes, giving the Decepticons an advantage when he awoke them from theArk.After executing the Autobots, the Decepticons quickly conquered Earth, forcing the humans to produce energon cubes.Transformers/Back to the Future #2AfterHill Valleyfell behind on their quota, Megatron sent Starscream to see what was up.Transformers/Back to the Future #1
WhenGigawattandMarty McFlytime travelled back to undo Rumble's scheme, they convinced Biff to turn on the Decepticon, Biff burying him under a dump truck's worth of energon cubes.Transformers/Back to the Future #4
Beast Warscartoon
The naturally-occurring energon on prehistoricEarthappeared only in an unstable, highly-explosive rawcrystalline form.However, after thePlanet Busterbaked Earth's surface, the crystals were all either incinerated or somehow "converted" into more stable cubes. These cubes no longer emitted the dangerous radiation which prompted the Beast Warriors to adopt theirbeast modesin the first place. They were significantly smaller than the cubes used by Transformers from before theGreat Upgradeand colored blue.
Blackarachniathreatened to detonate an energon cube near her head ifTarantulaswould not remove the mind-link he had with her. The explosion would have killed them both via the link, so Tarantulas did remove it.Tangled Web
Animatedcartoon
Energon cubes are of a pink/purple colouration.
During theGreat War,the Decepticons hoarded them in mass quantities on their battleships, among theTwilightwhich had crashed onArcha Seven.Despite the crash, the stockpile of cubes was unharmed but became unstable as the centuries rolled on. Thenativesmade usage of the cubes however, their eggs feeding off the warmth provided by them. Roughly a thousand stellar cycles before the 22nd century, three Autobot rookies,Optimus,Sentinel,andElita-1travelled to the planet to try and salvage the cubes but ran afoul of the spiders, Optimus being forced to detonate the energon so he could escape, an escape that seemingly claimed Elita's life.Along Came a Spider
Space bridgemaintenance ships were equipped with 'demolition-grade' energon, which were palm-sized cubes that readily exploited energon's explosive properties. When used properly, they are very useful in clearing away rubble from space bridges. But using themincorrectly could lead to a messy accident—say, like the destruction of a small spaceship.Endgame, Part I
Even standard cubes could become unstable if cut, which combined with an elevator could make for a handy bomb in tight quarters. It is suggested that one not stare down the shaft while attempting this.Decepticon Air
Aligned continuity family
Primecartoon
StarscreamandSoundwaveinserted Energon, kept inside a metal cube, intoSkyquake'sstasis podto revive him.Masters & Students
Later, whenMegatronand his troops harvestedDark Energonfrom a volcano, they cut some of it into cubes.One Shall Rise, Part 1
Some months after he'd abandoned the Decepticons, Starscream snuck on board theNemesisin an attempt to steal a number of energon cubes. Though he collected them in short order, he ducked into the archive room to avoid security coming face-to-face withOptimus Prime.Orion Pax, Part 1The Seeker quickly realized that the Prime had amnesia but was confronted by theVehiconsbefore he could take advantage of this, forcing him to fly away without his stolen cubes.Orion Pax, Part 2
While patrolling,Bulkheaddiscovered a stash of cubes ready for transport at the bottom of a mineshaft. When theNemesisarrived overhead, however, its engine vibrations caused theWreckerto fall down the shaft, being transported with the cubes into the energon storage vault. As he climbed through the ship's maintenance tubes, he found his way to the ship's power core, wherein robotic arms loaded energon cubes into the core, and slammed into it, causing the warship to crash.Armada
To quickly repair the vessel, Megatron inserted a Dark Energon cube into its power core, quickly repairing all the damage. Unfortunately though, the Dark Energon had performed too well and brought Trypticon back online untilJack Darbysucceeded in extracting the Dark Energon cube from the core.Flying Mind
Knock Outdelivered cubes ofSynthetic EnergontoShockwave's offsite labratory when he was ordered to turn over his research to him. Their presence, combined with an explosion, Shockwave's reactor andPredaconCNA,resulted in the creation of a large amount ofcyber-matter.Evolution
2015Robots in Disguisecartoon
TheAlchemorhad a stockpile of energon cubes aboard, a batch scattering when the ship broke in two. TheBee Teamcollected many of these cubes for their use while many others were seized byPedwho attempted to monopolize the precious resource.Can You Dig It?
Beast Wars: Uprising
On post-war Cybertron, the manufacture of Energon cubes was handled by corporations, such as Dynamic Energon Distillery.
When Gnashteeth was betrayed by the D.E.D. administrator Double Punch, he and the programmer Scorponok hit upon the idea of taking surplus cubes manufactured by the plant and selling them on the side, starting their own criminal enterprise. After a vicious beating from rival "businessmech" Thunderhoof's goons, Gnashteeth had Scorponok overload the D.E.D.'s Iacon plant while they made off with a small hoard of cubes, which Gnashteeth used to buy off Thunderhoof's minions.Identity Politics
Mechanimals were able to process energon without the need of cubes, and it was thinking of this, via the example of the humble ant-droid, that inspired Gnashteeth, now renamed Megatron, to implement the Beast Upgrade, freeing the Proto-races from the need for Energon cubes, and by extension the control of the Builders.Not All Megatrons
Games
War for Cybertron
Both the Autobots and Decepticons used energon cubes to regain energy they had lost in the heat of battle.Soundwavewas capable of producing energon cubes on the fly to heal his Decepticon brethren.Transformers: War for Cybertron
Battle for the Matrix
Bumblebeeand/orOptimuscan collect Energon cubes in order to repair themselves.Transformers: Battle for the Matrix
Transformers Roleplaying Game
The Autobots planned to send a shipment of energon cubes to a research facility on the East Coast by rail. However, their plan to mislead the Decepticons by sending a dummy train flanked byRollbarandMiragefailed, and the Decepticons wound up tracing them back to their temporary base inColoradoand stealing the lot.The Great Energon Robbery
Things that look like energon cubes but aren't
- Personality componentsfor some reason look like small energon cubes.Starscream's Brigade
- RefinedCybertoniumlooks like a green colored energon cube.Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2
- The refined heat resistant alloy developed byJessica Morgan's father resembles yellow colored energon cubes.The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2
The reason why all share the shape of energon cubes is a mystery that plagues us to this day....
Toys
The Transformers Collection
- Insectrons(Multi-pack,2004)
- Japanese ID number:16(full set)
- Insectron Clone Army(Multi-pack, 2004)
- Japanese ID number:75(individual),76(clones set)
- Energon Cubes were available with Takara's "TF Collection" reissue of theInsecticons,and the set'sredeco,the Collector's EditionInsectron Clone Army(Shothole,SalvoandZaptrap) box set released in Japan in 2004.
EuropeanEnergonMcDonald's promotion
- Ironhide(Happy Meal, 2004)
- Megatron(Happy Meal, 2004)
- Optimus Prime(Happy Meal, 2004)
- Unicron(Happy Meal, 2004)
- In 2004, McDonald's locations in various parts of Europe released fourEnergon-based Happy Meal toys ofIronhide,Megatron,Optimus Prime,andUnicron.These toys were united by a common feature of interchangeable light-up "energon cube" accessories.
- These cubes were little more than a cheap, battery poweredgimmick(the battery couldn't be replaced; the triangle-headed screws used by McDonald's are notoriously impossible to remove) that would make sound or light the toy up. The cubes were interchangeable, but not all of them were "compatible", so to speak—Unicron's light-up feature didn't work on the more opaque plastic of the other toys.
Masterpiece
- Soundwave(2013)
- ID number:MP-13
- Soundwave(2013)
- ID number:MP-02
- Both the Takara and Hasbro releases ofMasterpieceSoundwaveincluded an Energon Cube accessory. A clear plastic box, one side could be removed so that the cube could be plugged into Soundwave's cassette door chest to simulate the cube production he performed on theSunbowanimated series. At least on the Hasbro release, the cube didn't attach so well, though it did connect firmly to the grid attachment for Soundwave's chest.
- The edition purchased viaAmazonin Japan came with two additional energon cubes.
- The Soundblaster retool includes the Energon Cube accessory, now cast in red plastic.
Generations
Masterpiece
- Soundwave(2013)
- ID number:MP-02
- The Hasbro release ofMasterpieceSoundwave was rereleased as part ofGenerations.
Platinum Edition
- Insecticons(Platinum Edition 3-pack,2015)
- The Energon cube accessories were available again for thePlatinum EditionInsecticons.
War for Cybertron Trilogy
Middle: Centurion'sEnerGULP.
Right: The blood of Nemesis Prime's victims.
- Spoiler Pack(Leader Unbo xing,2020)
- As part of the "surprise unbo xing" gimmick that runs throughout theWar for Cybertron TrilogySpoiler Pack assortment,Ultra Magnusis packaged with, among other things, a small pot ofmodelling compoundinto which a buyer can dig to uncover a packet of three small energon cubes. The cubes are made of the same sort of soft plastic as the concurrentFire Blast effects,and each edge measures 11 mm.
- Deluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack(Deluxe Class with accessories pack, 2020)
- Two energon cubes are included as part of theDeluxe Centurion Drone Weaponizer Pack,alongside a plethora of other accessories. The cubes are hollow plastic and have only five faces; bubbles are sculpted into the cubes to represent liquid, and one of them is designed with a seam bisecting it to give it the appearance of being only half-filled. Artwork of all the accessories printed inside the box suggests the cubes were intended to come with5 mm/3 mm double posthandles, but the final release features 3 mm holes.
- Spoiler Pack(Leader Unbo xing, 2020)
- The second Spoiler Pack, containingNemesis Prime,once again includes a pot of modelling compound, and three unchanged energon cubes. Stock images for this set erroneously show the cubes as being red.
R.E.D. [Robot Enhanced Design]
- Megatron(2020)
- Reformatting Megatron(2021)
- Both versions of G1 Megatron in theTransformers R.E.D.line include several interchangeable hands, one of which is permanently grasping an Energon cube.
LEGO
- Optimus Prime(June 1,2022)
- LEGOOptimus Prime includes a brick-built Energon cube accessory.
One
- Quintesson High Commander(Prime Changers,2024)
- TheWalmart-exclusiveQuintesson High Commanderincludes a rubberized Energon cube accessory which can be stored inside the figure's torso. Oddly enough, the Energon cube is pink, despite Energon being blue in the movie.
Merchandise
Transformers (2007)
- Released along side the Movie Preview protoform figures, Energon now takes on the delicious form of candy! Held inside clear, plastic containers, the "energon" inside is more or less flavorless balls of condensed sugar with artificial colors. The cubes are held together by stickers, depicting scenes from Generation 1. The larger cube, made of 8 smaller ones, can be open and folded, in one direction, until it returns to its original position.
- Out of the eight cubes, only two have candy in them. Most of the art on the cube is taken from Dreamwave art bySuperstar Funana,with the exception of two parts that feature art byDon Figueroa.
G.I. Joe and the Transformers
- Shockwave H.I.S.S. Tank with two figures & Energon(2012)
- Accessories:Liquid-effect inserts
- Theexclusivebox set release forSan Diego Comic-Con2012 included three Energon cubes inspired by the Generation 1 cartoon. They are clear pink plastic with inserts to make them appear to be partially filled with liquid. Also included was a trolly for the includedBattle Android Trooperto transport the cubes.
Notes
- Thanks tothe exalted leaderofCarbombyain "Thief in the Night",we know 1000 barrels of oil makes a single energon cube. This means each cube contains the equivalent power of 42,000 U.S. gallons of crude oil. If refined into gasoline (with a conservative 30% yield ratio) that much oil would keepBumblebee'sVolkswagenalt mode(with a rough value of 40 miles/gallon) going for approximately half a million miles without needing to refuel! That's enough to circumnavigate theEarthover seventeen times without stopping! No wonder a few cubes of the stuff gotol' Megsydrunk off his rocker!
- Meanwhile, "Identity Politics"has a moment whereScorponokmuses that a supply of fifty-four energon cubes would fuel him, an average sized Predacon, for anywhere between three orbital cycles (roughly a month inUprisingcontinuity) to a full stellar cycle (about a year), giving us a glimpse of the fuel economy for the Proto-races in that setting.
- Early drafts of thefirst live-action filmoriginally referred to theAllSparkas the "Energon Cube."
Foreign names
- English:Power pack(Omni Productionsdub)
- JapaneseEnergon cube(エネルゴンキューブEnerugon Kyūbu)
